The field of the present invention relates generally to the remote control of electrical apparatus and, more particularly, to an apparatus and method of using a radio paging network and radio pager receiver to transmit and receive remotely programmable digital command codes which will selectively control the state and intensity of remotely located electrical lights or other electrically powered devices, either individually or together in a preprogrammed set. When the radio paging electrical load control system is used to control lighting within an office building, for example, the user is allowed the flexibility of controlling the electrical lighting or other devices within an entire building, entire floors, a specific office light or any portion thereof or almost any combination of multiple individual devices or sub-unit devices on a floor within a building or any other area requiring remote control systems. In addition, the radio paging electrical load control system allows remote reprogramming of the number of electrical lights or devices to allow an almost infinitely variable combination of controllable sets of electrical lights or devices. The system also provides an infrared line-of-sight transmitter which allows for on-site manual override. In addition, a manual hardwired override capability can be included.
Attention is called to U.S. Pat. Nos.: 3,906,348; 3,971,028; 4,037,201; 4,242,614; 4,305,060; 4,590,471; 4,686,380; 4,689,547; 4,780,621; 4,794,371; 4,839,641; 4,843,386; 5,281,962; 5,291,192; and 5,337,044.
As energy costs increase, businesses, especially those located in large, high-rise office buildings, have looked for ways to increase energy savings and to lower electrical power bills. Electrical power companies, faced with shortages of electrical power, especially during peak loading times, often offer businesses incentives to quickly cut power consumption. Those incentives often involve cutting or reducing the use of electricity during peak periods as well as controlling demand loading by reducing lighting levels, staggering lighting energizing at business startup time and after a power outage.
Besides reducing electricity bills, flexibility in arranging lights in groupings that can be remotely programmed and controlled is desirable. The ability to quickly and remotely reprogram electrical light groupings in accordance with changing office needs is also desirable. In large office buildings there is a need to quickly and easily switch electrical light groupings according to the needs of different occupants or to accommodate changing needs of the same occupants.
In addition to the remote control capability, an on-site remote control or hardwired override capability for normal operation, reprogramming, testing or emergency situations is also needed.
Previous systems have relied on various methods of remotely controlling lights, with some systems sending a radio transmission using pulse width modulation or other non-digital transmission techniques to a radio receiver. Although generally reliable, these systems are expensive, both to manufacture and to install. In addition, they may be susceptible to noise and not include error detection capabilities.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a system to remotely control electrical apparatus, particularly lights that is quick, easy to use, accurate, secure, low cost and reliable which provides the ability to remotely program and control a portion of an electrical light fixture or group of fixtures as well as manual on-site override capability.